Just a few minor updates:Testing out a conventional cockpit on the FLASH. It adds room for a missile bay in the back of the hull where the old cockpit was, which is nice, but I just don't think it looks as good as the old version. Maybe I'll try again with a different canopy sometime.

I reworked the 'wings' of the SPLAT, to see if I could solve some of its structural problems, and it worked out way better than I expected. I also redesigned its autocannon batteries, and they ended up looking way better.

Moar dakka, bitchez.

I did a careful count of my minifigs and decided that I've got just enough to give the T.L.A. two fairly coherent five-man infantry squads. The problem is I haven't had time to choose helmets for them all. I'm taking a small selection of bricks back with me to college and may have time to work on some microspace, but in all likelihood this is the last thing I'll be able to post in a while. Thanks again for your comments and keep on building.

At an ancient Deadly SpaceMan outpost, the T.L.A. found the weapon that could liberate their world from the Britannian invaders -- but inadvertently revealed the location of their last redoubt to Admiral Blackdog. Both sides are hurtling towards a battle that will decide the fate of the planet Refuge -- and the T.L.A. will not be found lacking in firepower.

The Ballistic Attack Long-Range Launching System (B.A.L.L.S.) is the T.L.A.'s newest and most powerful armored vehicle. First tested at the DSM outpost, it is armed with a massive railgun powerful enough to punch through Landship hull plating, a secondary anti-aircraft Gauss cannon identical to that used on the S.T.U.D.S., and two anti-infantry plasma cannon in sponson mounts. But these are only its secondary weapons...

Its main payload consists of two quad-MKII missile launchers, each capable of delivering a devastating salvo against infantry or armor alike. Extra ammo stored within the hull allows it to keep up a high rate of fire, overwhelming enemy units at range.

The B.A.L.L.S. has relatively little interior space compared to more conventional STDs, but it still has enough room for a squad of Assault Commandos in the back. Given the height of the exit hatch, they could probably be considered paratroopers rather than mechanized infantry.

The Omega-class fast-attack cruiser was rushed into production after the prototype destroyed a Britannian ship during its shakedown cruise. Two heavy missile batteries and an enormous rail gun allow this ship to annihilate enemy capital vessels.

It is an advanced but fairly conventional T.L.A. design, with large fuel tanks and a single massive sublight drive torch. Excess mass has been eliminated wherever possible to give it acceleration and maneuverability on par with most frigates.

I'm especially proud of the maneuvering thrusters.

The nose section took me weeks to figure out... until I realized that I had forgotten about hinge bricks entirely.

FWOOSH. Note, only the gray piece is an engine nozzle, the yellow cylinders are fuel tanks.

I quite like how the big rail gun came out.

The F.L.A.S.H. interceptor has been upgraded again, mostly with new weapons but with some aesthetic improvements as well.

Side on. I took off the clunky fixed guns on either side of the nose, you'll be hearing more about the replacements later.

Short-range IR guided dogfight missiles. Almost every FLASH pilot knows not to leave home without a pair of these mounted above the wings. They are primarily designed for atmospheric use but thrust-vectoring nozzles allow them to be used for close-in dogfights in space.

T.L.A. standard MKII missile pods. These are the same type of missile carried in the B.A.L.L.S.' launchers. Designed for range, compact size, and economy, they can be loaded with a pre-programmed trajectory before launch or home in on a target marked by a laser designator.

VDM-141 Volume Denial Missiles substitute blast radius for fine tracking ability, and are typically launched from long range at the start of a ship-to-ship battle in space. Experiments in using these weapons for air support in surface engagements would have found them to be 'overkill' if such a thing existed.

RGB-9001 free-fall bombs. What's the difference between a poorly designed reactor and a well designed bomb? One makes everything in a thousand-meter radius safe for democracy, while the other just explodes messily.

Interchangeable gun pods. The rotary Gauss cannon (upper left) is used for short-range atmospheric combat, while the larger single-barrel high velocity Gauss cannon is used in space.

Aerial Bombardment configuration with RGB-9001s and short range IR missiles. Rarely used, as ground force commanders tend to be annoyed when the entire battlefield suddenly becomes concave. You can't really see the underside, but it's carrying a Rotary Gauss Cannon.

Finally, the reason why I made all these weapons. I haven't done one of these loadout shots in ages.

Last edited by Theblackdog on Wed May 15, 2013 12:16 am, edited 1 time in total.